The Wishing Tree

There is something about the woods that feels very peaceful and calm, the trees are close in and it smells like wet pine needles, damp earth and bark - a cornucopia of smells for me so I can't imagine how great it smells to dogs. But who needs smells when you might have heard/seen a squirrel in a tree. One of the zillion in the woods; trees, not squirrels.

No, really. This is what they did for ages and ages. Never mind that no squirrel was actually seen or heard. The possibility existed that one of the dogs might have seen a squirrel and that was reason enough to give them neck cramps. The best is Leeloo in this one, she's like an owl with the head turning almost 360 ... that or she's possessed. Let's stick with owl.

It was really quite cute how they looked in every tree. Well, not every tree, we'd still be out there if that was the case, but in the area we were in every tree top got a very good hard stare. Leeloo is so dead serious she seems like she'd almost take flight the second she sees a furry little squirrel bottom. 

Leeloo was ridiculously determined. She's only seen one actual squirrel this year, they should be coming out of hibernation or whatever it is that squirrels do in the winter, but they are taking their damn time about it. Anyway, her memory is like a steel trap and squirrel capture is pretty high on the agenda this year. She's right serious about it.

Boy, while less serious, is certainly not easy to dissuade. He's got the whole peepers to the sky thing going on. I love his toes on the root gripping it for balance. His bright eyes are so earnest in their search for that elusive squirrel. This is one of the reasons I love taking them out; to see that manic predator gleam in their eye fills my heart with pride.